Stay Away From Her
by xopeaceandloveox
Summary: Charlotte Goldsworthy moves in with her cousin Eli after moving from town to town with her father one too many times. What happens when Fitz, Eli's enemy, sets his sights on her? Rated T for a reason x
1. Chapter 1

"I can't believe your dad made me come to school in this… _death mobile._ So much for making a first impression. I can see my reputation already- 'Cousin of the goth kid,'" I grumble, resting my head in my hand as Eli pulled his hearse into a parking spot.

"Someone's grumpy," Eli said, flashing his signature smirk at me.

"I couldn't sleep at all last night, thanks to that screamo crap you listen to. You didn't hear me banging on the walls for you to turn it down? Come on, Eli. This is my first day at a new school. I could've used some sleep." I wasn't exactly thrilled at starting over again at a new school for the third time this year. I was never thrilled at my father moving from town to town thanks to his job, or, lack of a job.

"Come on, Char. You look fine. Will you stop worrying about everything? Just look at it this way- this is the last time you ever have to start over. And you have Clare in your grade, too. Maybe you'll have some classes with her." Eli blushed when he said her name.

"Will I get to meet her? Please? You mentioned her all the time in your e-mails. I promise I won't say anything embarrassing to her," I say, the corners of my mouth curling up mischievously. "Like the time you wet the bed when you were ten."

"You say anything, Charlotte Goldsworthy, and I'll put that jar of spiders in your bed like I did at camp," Eli said, smiling evilly.

I wasn't even listening to him anymore. I was staring at a boy, a little older than me, walking through the parking lot into the front doors of the school. He was tall, and looked muscular. He had brown spiked hair, pale skin, and an aura around him that screamed "Bad boy." I didn't even notice Eli was still talking until he waved a hand in front of my face.

"Earth to Char? Who are you drooling over now?" Eli smirked, making fun of my lovesick stare. I didn't respond, I just opened the door to the hearse, ready to start the new semester at Degrassi. Eli followed me, and we walked into the school together. I wondered if people thought we were related or not. We've been mistaken for brother and sister many times, thanks to our green eyes and dark hair.

After we walk down a few hallways, a petite girl with cinnamon-colored curls and piercing blue eyes runs up to Eli.

"Hey Blue Eyes," he said, planting a quick kiss on the girl's cheek. Once she turns toward me, I introduce myself.

"Hi, I'm Charlotte, Eli's cousin. I just moved here. You're Clare, right?" I say, with a genuine smile on my face.

"Yeah, I'm Clare, or Blue Eyes, to Eli," she said, hitting Eli playfully on the arm.

"Char's in the same grade as you. I got to get to French, I'll see you at lunch, Blue Eyes," Eli said to Clare before taking off.

"It's real nice to meet you. Eli talks about you all the time. I'd assume you were his sister!"

"Yeah, we get that a lot. And he says a lot of great things about you."

With that, we exchange schedules, and find out we have biology, Italian, and history together. We walk off to biology, talking and laughing like best friends.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

**Author's note: WOOT WOOT! SECOND FANFIC! Omg, I think I am suffering from Eli's-smirk withdrawl. _I think I like Fitz now! _Idk, I just think he's hot now haha. But I still like Eli x]**


	2. Chapter 2

Biology was, in one word, a snoozer. Clare and I were paired up as lab partners for the rest of the semester, but the teacher mostly talked about his expectations and whatever. I spend half of the period doodling in my notebook and thinking about the boy I had seen walking into the school earlier today.

_Hmmm, should I tell Clare? She would probably know who it is._

I thought it over for a while, but I decided against it. She seems nice, but she would probably tell Eli. And the last thing I need is Eli making fun of me for it.

Suddenly, the bell rings, and everyone makes a beeline for the door. Clare says a quick goodbye, and takes off, probably to meet at Eli's locker before English. I sigh, wishing I could find a boyfriend this year. Would any guy want to date the new girl? I doubt it.

I find myself thinking about Mystery Boy for the tenth time today on my walk to academic English. It was never my strong subject, and I was always embarrassed when Eli brought it up. I was never the sort of person who could think up stories on a whim like Eli could.

When I heard the late bell ring, I froze. I realized I was lost, and I had to ask a teacher in the front office for a map of the school. Thanks to my lack of navigational skills, I walked into English about fifteen minutes late.

When I walked in, I froze. There, sitting in a desk up front, was Mystery Boy. He looked even more gorgeous up close. He looked up when I walked in, probably wondering what idiot wanders the halls for fifteen minutes. The teacher looks up from writing an answer on the chalk board, obviously annoyed.

"Yes, dear? Do you need something?"

_Speak up, Char. Now's not the time to be shy._

"Yeah, I'm Charlotte. Today's my first day here. And, um, I kind of got lost." The class snickered, all except for Mystery Boy.

_Is that my imagination, or is he staring at me?_

The teacher, whose name I figured was Mr. Thompson due to the little name placard on his desk, ruffled through some papers on his desk.

"Ah, Charlotte. You will be sitting next to Mark Fitzgerald," Mr. Thompson said, pointing to the desk next to Mystery Boy, er, I mean Mark.

"It's Fitz." Mark mumbled in a husky voice.

"And Charlotte, you and _Mark_ will also be writing partners for the semester," Mr. Thompson said as I sat down in the seat next to Fitz.

English was boring, just like biology. Mr. Thompson talked about his expectations for the semester, the same as biology. The only thing that kept me from dying of boredom was Fitz. I felt his eyes on me every couple of minutes, and I was desperate to know what his glances meant. Once the bell rang and I got up from my desk, I bumped into Fitz by accident and he dropped the stack of books he was carrying. I felt my cheeks burning as I bent down to help him.

"S-sorry 'bout that. I'm pretty off today. It's my first day here."

_Wow. This is a new record for me. I've never even met this kid and I already blew it._

"No big deal. I'm Fitz," he said coolly, with a half-smile on his face.

"Charlotte," I said, with renewed confidence.

_That's more like it, Char. _

"So… are you a sophomore?"

_THAT'S THE BEST FLIRTING YOU COULD THINK OF? What happened to the hair flip move, Charlotte?_

Fitz chuckled a little through his nose.

"Nah, Junior. I failed last year. Mr. Thompson is a serious jackass when it comes to teaching."

_Ah, an _older_ bad boy. You sure can pick 'em, Char. _

The bell rang, telling the students that it was time for Lunch 1. Fitz started to walk away, then looked over his shoulder at me.

"You coming?" He asked, with the same half smile on his face. I smiled back, and followed him.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

**Author's Note: Hello beautiful reviewers (hint hint)! Just so you know, I do not follow Degrassi's plot. So far, in my story, there hasn't been a Vegas Night or the changes to Degrassi that came with it. In my story, it's just a plain ol' new semester and Eli and Fitz hate each other.**

**I will also be updating my first fanfic soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey Eli," Clare says when she gets to my locker. I greet her with a peck on the lips.

"Nice to see you too, Blue Eyes. So, are you and Charlotte friends now?" I asked with curiosity. The last thing I wanted was my girlfriend and cousin hating each other. Clare smiled and said,

"She's great. And don't you worry, Eli, she didn't say anything embarrassing about you." I smirked, and wrapped my arm around her waist.

"To English," I say, and place a kiss on her cheek before walking to class. We walked by the cafeteria on our way to English, and we looked through the glass windows looking for Charlotte. I felt Clare tense up beside me.

"Come on, Eli. We'll be late." She tried to pull my arm and get me walking again.

"What's your deal, Blue-" I froze. I felt blood rush to my face, and my whole body tense. My cousin was sitting, no, _flirting_ with the violent moron that broke my car and beat me up.

"Clare, please tell me Charlotte isn't sitting with Fitz." She grabbed my hand to pull me away, but my entire body was numb. Adrenaline ran through every inch of my body. I was ready to storm in there and rip him to shreds.

"Eli, calm down! I really doubt he'll hurt Charlotte. Look at him, I've seen that face before." She smirked at me, reminding of the times I would give her that look.

"Clare, do you hear yourself? He's _Fitz!_ He could… rape her for God's sake!" If Clare wasn't holding onto my arm, I would burst into the cafeteria and punch Fitz in his freaking mouth. I wasn't even listening to her at this point. I watched Charlotte play with her hair as Fitz talked to her with a sly smile on his face. Clare finally pulled me hard enough to get me walking again.

"Eli, calm down," she said as we walked into the English hallway. "I really doubt Fitz would do anything to Charlotte if he likes her, and he probably does, judging by the fact he had a smile on his face. And I've never seen him with a smile on his face unless he was causing someone pain."

"Clare, what if he's using her, for sex or something? Maybe he knows I'm her cousin and he's trying to get to me." I say, my temper rising higher by the second.

"Can you just get moving, Eli? I really don't want to be late. Just talk to her after school. Just relax. I really don't think Fitz will do anything to her."

I sighed, thinking I should just keep my mouth shut. If Fitz found out Charlotte was my cousin, he'd probably use her to get to me.

(Charlotte's POV)

"Thanks for walking me out," I say to Fitz.

"No problem, see you tomorrow," he says, with a wink and a half smile. I walk to Eli's hearse feeling light and airy.

"Hey Char," Eli said as I got in, and I noticed he wasn't meeting my eyes as he spoke to me. I looked at him with a strange face. Why did he seem so pissed off?

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How was your day? Meet anyone interesting?"

I looked at him suspiciously. Why was he going all Interrogation Officer on me?

"Not… not really. How was your day?"

"Fine," he spat out.

"You're not fighting with Clare, are you?" Maybe that was why he was acting all ticked off.

"No, Char. And you really want to know what's pissing me off?"

"What?"

"I saw you today while you were in the cafeteria. With Fitz." I noticed Eli has been gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles were turning white. My cheeks burned red, because I really wanted to keep this whole "crush on Fitz" thing a secret.

"And? What's your deal?"

"My _deal _is that he's the punk who ripped a skull ornament off my car and beat me up!"

My stomach dropped. This can't be right! The Fitz I met today seemed sweet and nice. Was Eli lying? He had to be.

"Listen, Eli. Who you described didn't sound like anything like the guy I met today. And if you're gonna keep treating me like a _baby_, I'll take up Fitz's offer on _him _driving me home."

"What the heck, Charlotte? You're telling me you don't believe me, your cousin, who've you've known your entire life?"

"That's right," I said as I walked out of Eli's hearse, slammed the door, and walked back into the school to find Fitz.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI OR ITS CHARACTERS! **

**Author's Note: Yay Yay Yayy! Chapter three! Woot Woot! Great news to all you Fitz fans out there! I've heard (but it hasn't been confirmed) that he will make a reappearance on Degrassi for the next half of season ten! **

**Omg so I was watching the episode of Degrassi where Fitz and Eli were up against the wall after the cops broke up their fight. Wanna know what i was thinking during that scene? "Wow, I wish I was between Eli and the wall right there." xD**


	4. Chapter 4

I push through the double doors, trying to find Fitz. He'd made an offer to drive me home on his motorcycle during lunch. Me, being the adrenaline junky, hastily accepted. When I turned the corner to the hallway of Fitz's locker, I pushed Eli's reaction to Fitz out of my mind. Fitz was standing by his locker with an even taller and muscular guy. Once he saw me, he smiles a little and shuts his locker.

"Hey, Charlotte. This is Owen," Fitz shrugs to the guy next to him. Owen hardly glances my way when Fitz introduces me.

"I'll just leave you two alone, to uh, _flirt._" Owen snickers, and playfully punched Fitz's bicep as he walked away.

"So, uh, you need a ride home?" Fitz asks, not meeting my eyes.

_So he's shy? What happened to the Bad Boy side of him?_

"Yeah, my ride kind of bailed on me." I say, not wanting to tell Fitz the entire truth about Eli. If what Eli said was true, I didn't want Fitz hating me just because he was my cousin. Okay, so that was really shallow of me to say, but I really _really_ want him to like me.

"Cool, follow me," he says with a sly smile. I follow him out to the parking lot, and I prayed to God that Eli had left the school and didn't plan on staying to fight Fitz. Thankfully, his hearse was nowhere in sight, so I exhaled silently, relieved I wouldn't be breaking up any fight today.

Fitz's motorcycle was sitting in an empty space, with two helmets hanging off a hook on the back.

"Don't you think someone will steal it one day?" I ask with curiosity, since it looked pretty expensive. Fitz looked at me and snickered.

"Everyone knows me enough not to fuck with me," he says in a husky voice.

"_Not to fuck with me?" Maybe Eli was right, maybe he is bad news…_

Fitz then bent down to unhook the helmets from the back of his motorcycle.

_Yes, but bad news that looks sexy in those jeans…_

I shook all the thoughts from my head as Fitz handed me a helmet and asked me for my address. I told him my address, then wondered what would happen if he found out Eli lived in the same house I did. What if he saw his hearse in the driveway? Hell would probably break loose. After saying a silent prayer to God asking if Eli had the wits to leave his car in the garage, I climbed onto the narrow seat in back of him.

"Hang on, Charlotte. I don't bite." He says, obviously amused.

I blush, and wrap my arms around his muscular waist. I leaned into his back as he starts his motorcycle, and inhale a whiff of Kilo Axe spray.

_Wow, that just made him a thousand times hotter._

We flew out of the Degrassi parking lot and start down the road. I watch as the houses and trees blur by, as if they were a wet watercolor painting. I always loved motorcycles- my father had one when I was thirteen, but he had to sell it to pay our rent. And I especially loved the part when Fitz popped a wheelie about five minutes into the ride.

_Was he trying to impress me? Two can play at that game._

With that, I squeeze my arms around his waist even tighter, pulling myself closer to him.

We arrive at my house about five minutes later, and thankfully, Eli's hearse was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed it was in the garage. There was also no sign of Eli and I wanted to keep it that way. I was planning on saying "thanks for the ride" and getting the hell in the house before Eli came out of the house and saw me this close to Fitz. I got off the seat and took off my helmet, trying to tame my curls that seemed to double in size after the fast ride on the motorcycle.

"Enjoy the ride?" Fitz asks with an amused smirk on his face. I felt my face turning a shade of pink as I realized the dirty side to his question.

"Yeah, I love motorcycles," I say as I hand him the helmet. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yes you will," Fitz says before I watched him drive off.

I had a feeling this is going to be a very interesting semester at Degrassi.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

**Author's Note: So, I did not plan it this way, but Fitz and Charlotte's relationship are almost exactly like Eli and Clare's. Sorry bout that, I'll try to swtich it up for the upcoming chapters. Also, I'm not gonna update for a few days so I can work on my other fanfic. But, in the next chapter, will Fitz learn of Charlotte's family ties with Eli? Better favorite this story so you can check back and find out for yourself x]**


	5. Chapter 5

My heart is still fluttering and my palms are still sweaty once I get inside. As soon as I'm in the living room, I see Eli saunter down the stairs with an angry look on his face.

"So, Benedict Charlotte, how your ride with the future Top Ten Most Wanted?" Eli asked with his arms crossed and a disgusted look on his face.

"Eli, I have absolutely _no_ idea what you're talking about. Fitz is nothing like you described." I say as I plop down on the couch.

"Then wait until you see his reaction when you tell him you're related to me." He says as he sits in an armchair that's the farthest from me.

"I'm not telling him until I get to know him better." I say with a smug look on my face. Eli makes a snorting noise.

"If you don't tell him by the end of tomorrow, I'll be sure to park Morty in the driveway if he drives you home again."

"Then I'll make you give me a ride." I say. Eli wasn't going to win this battle.

"Please, Char. I make it to my car five minutes before you do at the end of the day. I'll lock the doors of my car until you go over to Fitz and tell him the truth. Whatever scenario you come up with, I'll find a way for him to find out."

I was honestly shocked at my cousin right now. How could Eli do this to me?

"Why the heck are you doing this? Maybe he changed for the new semester, you know, maybe he wanted a new start."

"How could you be so naïve, Char? No one changes over the course of Winter Break. And I'm doing this to protect you! That guy broke my car, threw Adam through a glass door, and beat both of us up. Who knows what he'll do to you."

By this time, I wasn't even listening to any of his bantering anymore. I was walking up the stairs to my new room, preferring hours of homework than being lectured by Eli.

My room was so much bigger and more open than the closet-sized room I had back in the apartment I shared with my dad. My aunt and uncle had let me pick out any new furniture and accessories I wanted for it, and it was the room I had always wanted. The walls were Tiffany-box-turquoise, and I had white lace curtains hanging on every window. I collapse onto my bed, ready to have a short rest before tackling note taking for Biology.

Right as sleep was about to overtake me, my cell phone started blaring "I Like It." I wanted to ignore it, but the volume was up all the way and it was starting to give me a headache. With a groan, I push myself off my bed and reach for my phone, trying to find the "off" button. My palms begin to sweat as I see the little envelope icon light up with the name "**Fitz**" on the screen. I smiled as I remembered both of us putting in each other's numbers into our phones during lunch. And my palms sweat even more as I read his text.

Fitz- Hey cutie

Charlotte- Heyy

Fitz- Doing anything later?

Charlotte- Nope, nothing at all

Fitz- Wanna hang later?

Charlotte- Love to

Fitz- Cool, pick you up at eight

My heart started racing. Eight? That only gave me four hours to do my homework, shower, do my hair, and get dressed!

_Calm down Charlotte… you don't even know where we're going… no need to go to all that trouble._

I didn't take my own advice. I rushed through my homework and showered in record time. I decide to wear dark skinny jeans and a purple tunic-tank. I hear the doorbell ring, and I glance at my LED digital clock on my bedside table. The numbers tell me it's exactly eight o'clock.

Right as I was about to leave my room and meet Fitz, I hear Eli call out in a cheery, sing-song voice.

"I'll get it!"

I rush down the stairs to try and stop Eli from getting the door.

"Don't!" I yell at him. He pretends not to hear me as he opens the door. There was Fitz, his smile slowly turning into an expression of hatred.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

**Author's Note: AHH! CLIFF HANGER! Sorry guys, I had too! Be sure to check out the next chapter for some REAL tension! By the way, the number of reviews I get will determine how soon I should update. x]**


	6. Chapter 6

My heart is pounding so fast that I think it will burst out of my chest at any second. For a moment, we all stare at each other with a different expression on our faces. Eli looks smug (as always), Fitz looks angry, and I probably look like a confused idiot.

"Funny seeing you here, Fitzy boy," Eli says with a smirk on his face.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Goldsworthy?" Fitz asks, looking about as fierce as a soldier in combat.

"I could ask you the same question," Eli says, leaning against the frame of the door, with his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk still plastered on his face.

"Picking up Charlotte. I'm surprised she wants to be around morons like you."

"Charlotte? As in my _cousin, _Charlotte?" Eli looks as if he was about to burst out laughing any minute, and I felt like smacking him across the face. This was the guy I like, and he treated it as one big joke?

I suddenly change my focus onto Fitz. He looks strangely serene and calm, as if none of this fazed him.

"So, Charlotte, you coming or what?" Fitz asks with the same look on his face. He grabs my hand and pulls me out the door.

"Don't wait up!" I yell back at Eli, savoring his shocked expression.

"For the record, I really don't care if you're his cousin or not," Fitz says with a small smile, handing me a helmet. I smile back and straddle the back of his motorcycle.

**(Fitz's POV)**

This was really going to be too easy. It's a win-win situation. I get a hot girl and I get to piss off an asshole at the same time. Sure, I'm lying to Charlotte about not caring about being his cousin, but I still really like her. And it's not like I'm being with her to piss of Eli, it's just an added bonus. I wouldn't waste my time being with a girl if it was just about pissing some guy off.

Charlotte squeezing my waist snapped me back to my thoughts… and turned me on a little. Sure, I've only known her for, what, a day? But I wasn't one to take things slow, and she didn't seem like the person who did either.

**(Charlotte's POV)**

Fitz parks the motorcycle on the side of the street next to a little café named The Dot. We both took our helmets off and walked inside together. I saw people I recognized from Degrassi and I felt their eyes on us, probably wondering what the school bully and the new girl were doing together. Fitz leads me to a table for two near the window, and even pulls the chair out for me.

_Wow. Bad boys who prove chivalry isn't dead… this one's a keeper._

A waitress comes over (another student from Degrassi), and asks for our orders. Fitz orders sodas and French fries for the both of us, but I really don't care. I'm just glad that he hasn't mentioned Eli yet. I wanted to bring it up first.

"So… why are you and Eli such enemies? He never gave me a clear answer." I ask with caution on my voice. I watch Fitz squirm uncomfortably in his seat until he opens his mouth to speak.

"Look, I don't even remember how this started, but it was probably something real stupid. He's always looking to start something," he says, anger occasionally flickering in his eyes.

There was an awkward silence between us, and I find myself singing in my head along to the song being played on the radio.

_Took a tip from a rodeo show  
Get a grip or you're gonna get thrown  
Take your aim when you take a shot  
For the man under you will take everything you got_

_Take the pills that they give you mornings  
Spit them out when they aren't looking  
Keep a smile but you burn it hot  
It's a mad, mad world._

Our waitress soon brings our food, and the atmosphere soon turns from awkward to flirty. This was my favorite part of crushing on a guy, the flirting, and the light tingly feeling I get in my stomach that comes with it. A new song comes on the radio, and I blush at the lyrics.

_Girl I gotta know, how you dance like that  
d-d-dance like that, you dance like that  
'cause you're putting on a show  
can i take you back? Take you back take you back  
I just gotta ask can you show me yours?  
I'll show you mine.  
Don't you worry, you're too fine.  
We got one thing on our mind  
And we got plenty of time!  
Girl I gotta go! I'm finished with the show  
If you wanna f*** me, I won't say no!_

"Wanna get out of here?" Fitz asks, with a sly smile on his face.

I freeze, but I nod shyly a few moments later.

_Calm down, Charlotte. It's not like he's gonna try to have sex with you or anything..._

_

* * *

_

**DISCLAIMER! I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI OR ITS CHARACTERS!**

**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry I didnt update sooner like I promised. But I have a good excuse- my unce died this monday, and the funeral was today. it was probably the most emotional day of my life. But thankfully I have the Degrassi premiere to put me in a better mood! MY ELI WITHDRAWL WILL BE OVER33**

**So I will be annoying people on until nine tonight x]**

**And also, if you have noticed, I do not like to write from the guy's perspective because I find it... awkward? Idk, it's just that I'm not gay or a guy, so I find it a little uncomfortable haha, so sorry if you wanted more of Fitz's perspective. If you do want a chapter from his perspective fully, just tell me and I'll suck it up and write it.**

**Reviews = updates!**


	7. Chapter 7

My heart was pounding. I wonder if Fitz could feel it. Here we were, pressed chest to chest, our tongues exploring each other's mouths. He had me pinned to his couch with him on top of me while we were watching _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_. I know this wasn't right to do, but gosh it felt good.

Suddenly, Fitz takes off his shirt, revealing a pale, chiseled six pack. I ignore the voice of reason and go along with temptation. I felt his hands everywhere- my back, neck, running through my hair, my thighs… everywhere. I finally stop when I feel Fitz trying to unbuckle my belt. I sit up fast and fumble in my purse for my phone. Nine new messages from Eli.

"Oh my God. It's after ten? I need to get home. Now. My uncle will freak if he sees I'm not home," I say, ignoring Fitz's confused expression. Okay, so that was a lie, I have an eleven o'clock curfew. But come _on._ I already feel like a slut for making out with a guy I met ten hours before.

"You need a ride?" He asks.

"No, that's okay. My house is only a two minute walk from yours." I say, practically running out the door.

Once outside, I read Eli's texts.

_**Where are you going?**_

_**What are you doing with that Neanderthal?**_

_**Charlotte, answer me! Come on!**_

_**Charlotte, I swear to God, if you don't text me back... I don't know what I'll do.**_

_**It's after ten, where are you?**_

_**CHAR! OMG!**_

_**You better not be having sex with that punk.**_

_**If you're not home by eleven, I'm telling my dad that you're out with a delinquent.**_

_**I bet Fitzy Boy's a real dreamy kisser. How do you like the taste of marijuana and liquor?**_

Marijuana and liquor? I stopped on my front porch before going inside and thought for a while. He tasted like spearmint gum, not drugs. Eli's got him all wrong.

I take a deep breath, and open the door. Eli was sitting in a leather armchair, with his arms crossed. God, he's annoying. He thinks he's so much more mature just because he's one year older than me.

"So Char, how was your night with Prince Charming? And why are you back so soon? Did you kiss him and he turned into a frog?" Eli asks with an amused look on his face. I was about to respond when his expression turns into one of disgust.

"Char… what were you _doing _with him?"

"What are you talking about? Nothing!" I say, my anger growing quicker by the second.

"Look in the mirror," Eli insists. I turn to the mirror mounted on the wall above a decorative table and gasp at my reflection.

My hair was a tousled mess. My shirt was wrinkled and my bra strap was slid down to my arm. And worst of all, I had a large round hickey on the side of my neck. I turn back around to face Eli, not sure what to say. I felt ashamed I went that far with him, but I also felt… excited. Like something interesting was finally happening in my life. And I wasn't planning on losing that feeling.

"I didn't have sex, Eli. I'm not _that _much of a slut," I say to him. "I met the guy freaking ten hours ago. And you think I'd have sex with someone I barely know? We were just making out! Jeez, and cool it with the texts. Did you _really_ have to flood my inbox?"

Secretly, I'm glad to know someone cared, even if it was my older cousin. He was always looking out for me like an older brother would. My father could care less, because work and finding a job were the only things that mattered to him.

"Charlotte, when am I going to get it through your thick skull that I'm doing this to protect you? This guy is _bad news. _He probably got arrested more times than anyone at Degrassi! This isn't the guy you should be around."

I started to consider this. Maybe Fitz was a cold, angry guy that I should stay away from. Maybe he was just using me for sex, or to get back at Eli. Then, my cell phone starts to vibrate. It was Fitz.

_What does he want now?_

_**Hey, did you get home okay?**_

I smile at my phone, oblivious to the fact that Eli is still talking. I walk upstairs to my room, now blocking Eli's voice out of my head.

_Yeah, because "delinquents" really make sure girls are okay when they walk home alone at night._

_

* * *

_

**DISCLAMIER! i do not own degrassi or its characters yadda yadda...**

**Authors Note: WOOT! CHAPTA SEH-VEN! things are heating up! x] And for all you Fitz fans out there, look out for him in this new season of Degrassi cuz he's coming back!**

**And have you seen that new MuchMusic promo about Eli? "He's a bad boy badass." And that kiss scene at the end? God. I NEED TO BE CLARE. **


	8. Chapter 8

I want to gag as I see Charlotte walking toward Morty in her skin-tight jeans and high heels. And I wanted to roll down the window and vomit when I saw her amount of makeup. At least you couldn't see her hickey beneath all of her concealor.

"Honestly, Char? You dressed like a slut just to impress one asshole?" I spat at her.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind being Fitz and seeing the girl I like looking as hot as that… but come on! She was like a little sister to me, and she can find someone ten times better than him.

"He's not an asshole, Eli. I just see a different side of him," she says as we start to drive to Degrassi.

"Well, he better not be seeing _any _sides of you," I mutter under my breath. I glance over at Charlotte, who was checking her lipstick her compact mirror, oblivious to my comment.

We drive in silence until I pull into an empty parking space. Charlotte immediately leaves the car and walks through the front doors, probably to find Fitz. I lock Morty's doors and turn just as I see Fitz walking up to me with Owen by his side.

"Hey, Eli, guess how far I got with your cousin last night?" He asks, shoving me backwards. I was about to respond as he cut me off.

"Oh wait. Your proof is right on that big hickey on her neck. I bet you could find a lot lower down if you searched her." Owen snickers as Fitz fist pumps him.

At that point, I lose it. I shove Fitz so hard that he falls backwards

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" I shout at him.

Owen pins my arms behind me while Fitz punches my in the face and lands one punch in my gut. I lie on the ground, trying to feel if I lost any teeth or if my nose was broken. They simply laugh and walk away.

"Eli!" I see Clare running towards me, a look of panic on her face. "What happened? Who did this?" She kneels down and gently touches my cheek, which triggers a shock of pain.

"Take a wild guess." I say.

(Charlotte's POV)

"_Don't forget to buy your tickets for A Night in Vegas this Friday! Who knows? You might be able to walk away with a brand new flat screen TV!"_

I roll my eyes at Holly J's fake enthusiasm blaring over the PA system as I walk down the hallways to English. I put my hand into my pocket and felt the note that Clare passed to me during a Biology test. I had skimmed the first line, and I made out the words "Eli, Fitz, fight." I know I am being selfish, but knowing Eli, he started it. I didn't care anymore. All I cared about at the moment was the hot guy waiting for me at the other side of the door.

Fitz looks up and smiles at me the moment I walk in. As I sit down in the desk next to him, he leans over and pulls two items out of his backpack that look like giant playing cards.

"Look, I've never really done this before, but there's that A Night in Vegas dance tomorrow night, and all the guys are bringing dates. Wanna… go with me?" He asks me, looking as hopeful as a little boy who begs their mother for candy before dinner.

Right as I was about to say yes, I think about Eli, and what Fitz had done to him. I think last night, and how he wanted to have sex with me. But I also think about the sweet, non-violent guy I see when I'm around him. Maybe he'll change for me.

"Sure. It'll be fun," I say, a smile spreading across my face.

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**I do not own degrassi or its characters, yadda yadda yadda...**

**Author's note- OMG GUYS IM SO SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED! i will be updating my other story VERY SOON! I know i never update this late, but high school has taken a lott out of me. **

**And have you guys seen the Degrassi Halloween mini with Clare and Eli? DAYUMM WAS ELI LOOKIN FINEE! If I was Clare I SO wouldnt have stopped biting Eli when he was obviously in the mood... xD**


	9. Chapter 9

The second I walked into my house after another adrenaline-packed ride from Fitz, my phone buzzed. It was Clare.

**Clare: Hey Char, wanna come with me to the mall to look at dresses for Vegas Night?**

**Charlotte: Yeah sure! I'll meet you at the food court in a half hour?**

**Clare: See you there! :)**

I walk up to my room and throw my backpack down on my bed. I quickly change out of my jeans and heels, and put on some sweat pants and flip flops. There wasn't going to be anyone at the mall that I needed to impress, anyway. Eli walks by my room and peeks in the doorway.

"I personally like the more relaxed look, Char," Eli says, leaning against the frame of the doorway.

"Hey, can you drop me off at the mall? I'm going to look for a dress to wear at Vegas Night with Clare," I tense up, waiting for the "_Fitz is a bad guy" _lecture. Instead, he walks into my room and sits on my bed, looking around awkwardly.

"Look, Char, you're going to Vegas Night with Fitz, aren't you?" He asks, sounding more and more like a concerned parent by the second. I nod, not knowing what else to do.

"Okay, well I don't know why you like him. But I can't stop you. Just… please. Be careful with him, okay? Don't let him pressure you. I know his type. Just… be careful." Eli fidgets for a moment and gets up.

"Well, I'll be waiting in the hearse" He says, and leaves.

I take this as Eli's blessing. I grab my purse from off my coat rack and walk outside to his car.

Once at the mall, I find Clare quickly, sitting alone at a table, texting with a shy and happy face on. She was probably texting Eli. Will Fitz ever have that affect on me one day?

"Hey Charlotte!" Clare calls over to me. She waves me over to her table, and I navigate through the maze of shoppers, who glare at me as I crush their paper shopping bags when I push by. I take the seat across from Clare and toss my purse on the table.

"So, where to first?" I ask, eager to get a dress before every girl in the grade snags all the good ones, since there are about six stores total in my area that sell formal dresses.

"How about we start at Jessica McClintock and work our way left?" Clare suggests.

"Works for me."

About twenty minutes later, Clare and I are standing in front of the giant mirror in the back of the store, which covers the entire back wall. She is wearing a beaded blue chiffon dress, and I am wearing a tight strapless black dress with a red ribbon across the waist.

"You should get that, Clare. It really brings out your eyes." I say. It really was amazing how the blue fabric matched them almost exactly. Knowing how reserved Clare is, I knew she would have nothing good to say about my dress.

"Eli is gonna freak if he sees you going to Vegas Night like a s- … like that." Clare fidgets to find the price tag on the back of the dress as a distraction. She pretty much called me a slut, and I didn't know how to react. Am I? I made out with a guy I knew for about eight hours, and now I'm going to a school dance with him, possibly in this dress. And I'll admit, it is a little short. And tight. But I'm not dressing this way for Fitz… right?

"Look, all I'm saying is that Fitz liked you before you started dressing that way. You don't need to change the way you dress of how you look for a guy," Clare says. She _did _have a point. I walk into the dressing room again, and try on a dress that had caught my eye the minute I walked into the store. It wasn't tight, and it wasn't nearly as short as the other one, but it was one that I knew fit my real personality. When I walk out again, Clare starts clapping happily.

"It's so cute! You should totally get that one!"

I walk over to where she was standing and face the mirror. It was a dark blue, strapless, satin dress that hit a few inches above my knees. It had a bow that stuck out on the side of my hip, and the bow had a fake diamond in the center. It fit me perfectly, and it was the perfect combination of elegance and edgy.

Before we pay for our dresses, we pick out clutches and silver high heels to go with them. One last stop at a Halloween store for feather boas (hey, it's not called "Vegas Night" for nothing!), and we are ready to make the dance one of the best nights of our life.

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**OMG GUYS! I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY I HAVENT UPDATED IN FOREVER! No, I did NOT forget about you! I just started high school and my uncle died a few months ago and those have drained me physically and mentally. I will be updating MUCH MUCH more often. Oh, and tell me if I should continue my other fanfic. Check it out :)**


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